The Christmas Movie Trail Launch
Insights
One of the fastest-growing trends in travel/tourism continues to be set jetting. In fact, a 2025 Expedia study reported that 53% of travelers are inspired to visit real-life locations that are the setting of their favorite on-screen moments. Connecticut’s tourism team wanted to capitalize on this trend — as the state does serve as the backdrop for many TV and movie productions. But because of the diverse array of its settings, those locations aren’t readily identified as “Connecticut.” So we needed to find a way to stake Connecticut’s claim as a set worth jetting to…
Idea
While we couldn’t connect Connecticut with recognizable cities or landmarks, we could associate it with a particular genre of entertainment. Turns out Connecticut has been the backdrop for 22 Christmas movies in the last few years! So we worked with the tourism team to create the nation’s first-ever Christmas Movie Trail — turning Connecticut’s supporting role as a holiday movie backdrop into a leading reason to visit. Launching this trail became a show in itself, with immersive on-set experiences, a drawing for a chance to be a movie “extra,” and apearances from Hallmark movie stars.
![[image]](https://www.adamsknight.com/assets/1771956956-EmailInvite-Upload.png)
A festive invite encouraged leading media outlets and influencers to join us for the launch of the nation’s first ever Christmas Movie Trail.
![[image]](https://www.adamsknight.com/assets/1771952629-Xmas-Mock6-Col1-Spot4.png)
This widely popular map identified the settings for 22 holiday movies, including the name of the movie, the production company, and the primary location.
![[image]](https://www.adamsknight.com/assets/1771952835-Xmas-Mock5-Col2-Spot3.png)
At the event, the winner of the contest was announced, already enjoying her moment in the spotlight as a soon-to-be-extra in an upcoming film.
To engage residents across the state, we ran a special contest offering an opportunity to be chosen as an “extra” in an upcoming holiday movie.
![[image]](https://www.adamsknight.com/assets/1771952796-Xmas-Mock3-Col2-Spot2.png)
Connecticut’s Governor joined Hallmark movie stars to ring in the Christmas Movie Trail launch.
Impact
In the first year, this campaign has generated lots of interest in visiting picturesque Connecticut, including:
- 750+ national media placements
- 10+ billion earned impressions
- A viral cultural moment on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show featuring Jon Hamm and Lindsey Lohan
- A 1,325% surge in CTvisit.com searches related to movies filmed in Connecticut
